Trenching-machine.



-1. c. FRENCH TBENCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLED MAY 25, 1914.

1 39,474. Patented $ept. 11, 1917. I 2 SHEETS-SHEET l- 1. C. FRENCH.

TRENGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATIGN FILED MAY25, I914- Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

" erraro snares raafnnr anion" JAMES C. FRENCH, OF KEN JSHA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK C. AUSTIN, JF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

rannonme-mncnrnn.

Patented Sepia ill, I917.

Application filed May 25, 1914. Serial No. 840,665.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, JAMES C. FRENCH,

,said buckets cutting a trench as the machine moves slowly forward.

Objects of my invention are to provide eiiicient means for smoothing or grading the bottom of the ditch behind the bucket; to provide a novel and ei'licient arrangement for preserving a proper grade line for the ditch or trench; and to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general eiiiciency of an excavating machine of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends my inven tion consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an excavating machine embodying the principles of my invention, showing the beam and buckets down in the ground.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section on line 22 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the excavating apparatus in operative position, showing certain portions thereof broken away for convenience of illustration.

Fig. l is a detail section on line H in Fig. 3.

As thus illustrated, the body A of the ma.- chine may be of any suitable known or approved character, and may be supported upon front wheels B and rear caterpillars C,

.the latter being suitably driven by the engine I) on the body. The said body is provided with a rearwardly extending frame a upon which is mounted the horizontal shaft E, bearings being provided for holding the shaft in place, and for supporting it for rotation. It will be seen that the said shaft is driven by a sprocket chain connection a, and it will be understood that this chain is in turn operated in any suitable manner by said engine.

The swinging beam F has its upper end supported by bearings f on the shaft E, and the lower end of said beam is provided with sprocket wheels f for the endless sprocket chains 7 which carry the buckets f and whereby said buckets are maintained in operating position. The shaft E is provided with sprockets c for the chains 7'", and with this arrangement the buckets travel downward at the upper or rear side of the beam and then upward at the front side of the beam, or in front of the same, whereby each bucket takes up a load of dirt as it passes under the sprocket f and as it then travels upward from the bottom of the trench. These buckets are each secured to a link of each chain, so that the rear end of each bucket tilts outward and away from the sprocket chains f as it passes upward and around the shaft E, thus dropping the load. (See Fig. 5.) Tha of dirt at ehis point. load of dirt thus discharged is received by the hopper or chute G, which latter is provided with inclined deflectors g by which the dirt is discharged at opposite sides of the path of the ditch. The construction thus far described is old and well known.

In order to provide the ditch or trench with a smooth'surface at the bottom thereof, and in orderto facilitate the laying of the tile, a grading device in the form of a scraper His disposed behind the buckets, and is arranged to rest-on the bottomof the ditch or trench, being secured to the lower end of a vertically disposed standard or upright 72, which latter extends above th ground. The trussed frame I is pivoted o' the outer ends of the shafr E, and has it lower end provided with a pivotal connecand lowering this pivotal connection. A re 72, has its lower end pivoted at, k to the frame I, and has its threaded upper portion extended through a bracket h on the upper end of the standard it, the said rod being disposed at an angle and extending backward over the upper end of said standard. A nut 71 on the phreaded portion of the rod bears against the back of the bracket tion 2' on the forward side of the standard h, the latter having several holes h for raising.

- the path and with'this provision the angle betweenthe standard It and the frame-1 can be changed at will. A nut h on said rod k engages the forward side of the bracket h, and cooperates with the nut h to clamp the bracket between them and in various positions on said rod. By changing the angle of the standard it relative to the frame I, the proper position of the scraper H. can be maintained at all times. Furthermore, an indicator h on the upper portion of the standard h can be employed for indicating whether the apparatus is working at the proper depth, and for assisting the operator in maintaining the proper grade line for the trench. This can be done by sighting from the said indicator, relativcto objects along of the ditch. or by running a wire h along the ditch. By keeping the. standard h upright at all times, and by then maintaining the indicator 7: exactly opposite this wire at all times, the bottom K of the ditch or trench will always be a given distance below the said wire. and thus the desired grade line will be malntai ned during the forward progressof the machine.

The frame I is prevented from rising, and is yielcliiigly held down in place by the spring connection L, one at each side of the machine, which connects said frame with the bucket beam. These device may be of any suitable character, but are preferably constructed as shown: in Fig. 2. As thus illustrated, the spring Z is interposed between the shoulders Z and Z", which are carried respectivel 1 on the ends of the rods Z and Z in any suitable manner. The rods Z are connected by a pivot with the bucket beam, and the upper end of the rod 1 is connected by a pivotal connection Z with the frame I, whereby the said spring Z is compressed by any inclination on the part of the scraper H to rise from the bottom of the trench. Thus the grading devices are yieldingly held down in place, and the yielding action serves in some measure to prevent breakage when obstructions are en-:

countered.

The bucket beam and the frame I are raised and lowered by a cable M which trav els over a' sheave m on the upper end of said frame, and which has its lower end wound upon a suitable drum m understood that the latter can be operated by'hand or by the engine on the body. Any suitable means, however, can be employed for raising and lowering the excavating apparatus in the ditch. By changing the angle of the bucket beam, the depth of the ditch or trench can be varied at will.

I do not limit myself to theexact con struction shown and described.

What I claim as my invention is 1. An excavating machine comprising instrumentalities for cutting a trench, and

it being means behind said instrumentalities and resiliently connected therewith for sn'ioothing the trench in rear thereof.

2. An excavating machine comprising instrumentalities for cutting a trench. and means behind said inst rumeutalities for smoothing the trench in rear thereof, said machine including a shaft for supporting said instrumentalities, and said means hav ing a support mounted independently of said instrumentalities on said shaft.

3. An excavating machine comprising instrumentalities for cutting a trench, and means behind said instrumentalit'ies and resiliently connected therewith for smoothing the trench in rear thereof. said means including'a sc'aper whiclrslides on the bottom of the trench, and devices for adjusting up and down the position of said scraper.

4. An excavating machine comprising instrun'ientalities for cutting a trench, and means behind said instriunentalitics for smoothing the trench in rear thereof, said instrumentalities including a tilting digging beam, a shaft upon which the upper end of said beam is mounted, buckets carried on said beam, operated by said shaft, and said means having a tilting support mounted independently of said beam on said shaft, extending downward behind said i *am.

5. An excavating machine comprising in strumentalities for'cutting a trench, and means behind said instriunent'alities for smoothing the trench in rear thereof, said instrumentalities including a beam provided with an endless series of buckets, and a. spring device for yieldingly holding said means in position, connected to said beam.

(3. An excavating machine comprising instrumentalities for cutting a. trench, and mean behind said instrumentalities for smootiing the trench in rear thereof, said means including a standard, a scraper on the lower end of said standard, a support, a pivotal connection between said standard and the rear end of said support, and an adjustable brace between said support and the upper portion of said standard.

7. An excavating machine comprising instrumentalities for cutting a trench, m HHS behind said instrumentalities for smoothing the trench in rear thereof, said means comprising a standard, a grade-line indicator on the upper portion of said standard, and adjusting devices at the top of said indicator to vary the position of said means for different depths, and to hold said indicator upright.

8. An ex aivating machine comprising instrumentalities for cutting a trench, means behind said. instrumentalities for smoothing the trench in rear thereof, said means having a grade line indicator mounted thereon, and adjusting devices at the top of said indic'ator to Varythe pesition (if said means relative motion between said instrumentali-i 10 fordifferent' depths, and tohold-said indities and said means. cator upright. 1; Signed by me at Chicagb, Illinois, this 9th 9. An excavating'machine cqmprising day. ofMay 1914. strumentalitiesfor cutting a trench, means a behind said instrumentalities for smoothing the trench in rear thereof, and devices for v Witnesses: raising'and lowering saidinstrumel italities- -"JOHN .T. WILSON,

JAMES c. FRENCH! and means in unison; and springs pfovidingj FREDERIC S. BOYER. 

